Video

Filming

Horizontal Video

Horizontal video refers to videos that are filmed and displayed in a landscape or widescreen orientation, where the width is greater than the height. In horizontal videos, the aspect ratio is typically 16:9, which is wider than vertical or square videos. Platforms like YouTube, Facebook posts, Twitter, and LinkedIn utilize horizontal video to offer a more immersive viewing.

Tips for filming horizontal video:

  • Rule of Thirds
    The Rule of Thirds is a fundamental principle of composition. Imagine dividing your frame into a grid of nine equal parts using two horizontal and two vertical lines. Place your subject along the lines or at the intersections to create a visually pleasing and balanced shot.
  • Optimize Lighting
    Good lighting is crucial for high-quality videos. Whenever possible, use natural light or invest in a basic lighting kit to ensure your subject is well-lit. Avoid harsh shadows and make sure the lighting is even across the frame.
  • Stabilize Your Shots
    Shaky footage can be distracting and diminish the overall quality of your video. Use a tripod or a gimbal stabilizer to keep your shots steady. Smooth camera movements can greatly enhance the viewer's experience.
  • Mind the Background
    Pay attention to the background of your shots to avoid any distractions. Look for clean and clutter-free backgrounds that complement your subject. Be mindful of any unwanted objects, logos, or sensitive information that may appear in the frame.
  • Capture Clear Audio
    Good audio quality is often overlooked but is essential for a professional video. Invest in a decent microphone to record clear and crisp audio. Consider using a lapel mic or a shotgun mic, depending on your shooting conditions, to capture high-quality sound.

Vertical Video

With the huge popularity of social media platforms presenting their content vertically, filming a vertical video has become a lot more widespread and relevant. Keep some basic guidelines you can keep in mind to ensure your vertical videos look amazing for Instagram, YouTube Shorts, Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook! In this video, we share some helpful tips on how to film a vertical video.

Editing

Graphics Packages

Graphics packages aligned with ETSU's various active campaigns are available for download and use. If in doubt as to which campaign best suits your subject matter, use the "Bucs Go Beyond" assets. 

"Bucs Go Beyond" campaign

Campaign purpose: Overarching brand campaign intended to highlight excellence among ETSU students, faculty, staff, and alumni. If in doubt as to which campaign best suits your subject matter, use the Bucs Go Beyond assets. 

PSD files  |  Motion graphics files

Tips for Editing Video on Adobe Premiere 


University and Marketing Communications utilizes Adobe Premiere Pro for all video editing.  

Basic Editing Tips

Familiarize yourself with the interface: Start by exploring the different panels and tools in Adobe Premiere. Get comfortable with the layout and understand the basic functions of each panel. 

Learn the keyboard shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts can significantly speed up your editing workflow. Adobe provides a comprehensive list of Premiere Pro keyboard shortcuts on their website. Take some time to learn and practice using them. 

Importing and organizing footage: Before you start editing, import your video footage into Premiere and organize it in a logical folder structure. This will help you locate and manage your files efficiently. 

Understand the timeline: The timeline is where you arrange and edit your clips. Learn how to add, trim, and rearrange clips on the timeline. Familiarize yourself with different tracks such as video, audio, and graphics. 

Basic editing techniques: Start by learning the fundamental editing techniques like cutting, trimming, and splitting clips. Experiment with different transitions, such as fades and dissolves, to create smooth transitions between shots. 

Audio editing: Pay attention to audio quality. Learn how to adjust volume levels, apply audio effects, and synchronize audio with video. Adobe Premiere offers tools like the Essential Sound panel to simplify audio editing. 
Applying effects and filters: Premiere provides a wide range of effects and filters to enhance your videos. Experiment with color correction, video effects, and video transitions to achieve the desired look and feel. 

Titles and graphics: Explore Premiere's text and graphics tools to create titles, lower thirds, and other visual elements. You can also import graphics created in other Adobe Creative Cloud applications such as Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator. 


Exporting and sharing: Once your video editing is complete, you'll need to export it in a suitable format. Understand the different export options and settings in Premiere, such as resolution, frame rate, and codec. Choose the appropriate settings based on your intended delivery platform. 

Formatting

Understand your project requirements: Before you start formatting your video, determine the desired output specifications. Consider aspects like resolution, frame rate, aspect ratio, and codec. Different platforms and delivery methods may have specific formatting requirements. 

Set up your project correctly: When creating a new project in Adobe Premiere Pro, ensure that you select the appropriate settings for your desired output. Go to File > New > Project and set the video settings accordingly. This includes resolution, frame rate, and pixel aspect ratio. 

Sequence settings: Within your project, you'll work with sequences, which determine the format of your edited video. Double-check your sequence settings by right-clicking on the sequence in the Project panel and selecting Sequence Settings. Make sure they match your desired output settings. 

Importing footage: Premiere Pro is flexible in handling various video formats. When importing footage, it's generally recommended to use file formats that offer high quality and retain as much detail as possible, such as ProRes, DNxHD, or uncompressed formats.

Avoid heavily compressed formats like highly compressed MP4s or low-quality video files. 

Scaling and cropping: If you need to adjust the size or aspect ratio of your video, you can use the Motion settings in the Effects Controls panel. This allows you to scale, resize, and reposition your footage within the frame. Be mindful of maintaining the correct aspect ratio to avoid distortion. 

Applying letterboxing or pillarboxing: Letterboxing (black bars on the top and bottom) or pillarboxing (black bars on the sides) can be applied to maintain the aspect ratio of your footage. To add letterboxing or pillarboxing, create a new matte or adjustment layer and position it on the timeline below your video clip. Adjust its size and position as needed. 
Color correction and grading: Premiere Pro offers robust color correction and grading tools to enhance the visual quality of your video. Use the Lumetri Color panel to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, and color balance. Ensure consistent color and tone throughout your video. 

Export settings: When you're ready to export your formatted video, navigate to File > Export > Media. In the Export Settings window, select the desired format, resolution, frame rate, and codec for your output. Additionally, you can adjust other parameters such as bitrate, audio settings, and file size. Preview the exported video to verify that it meets your formatting requirements. 

Rendering

Rendering in Adobe Premiere Pro refers to the process of generating a preview or final output of your video project. When you apply effects, transitions, or make adjustments to your footage, Premiere Pro often needs to render those changes in order to accurately display them in real-time or during the final export. 

  • Understanding rendering types: Premiere Pro offers two types of rendering: preview rendering and export rendering. 
    • Preview rendering: Preview rendering is done within Premiere Pro's timeline to help you view and edit your video smoothly. It creates temporary preview files for the sections of your timeline that require rendering. These preview files are stored in the Media Cache folder. By default, Premiere Pro automatically renders parts of the timeline that require it, but you can also manually render specific sections. 
    • Export rendering: Export rendering refers to the process of creating the final output file of your video project. When you export your video, Premiere Pro renders the entire sequence based on your export settings and outputs a video file. 
  • Automatic preview rendering: Premiere Pro automatically renders sections of your timeline as you work, but you can adjust these settings to optimize performance. To do this, go to File > Project Settings > General. Under the "Video Rendering and Playback" section, you can modify the "Renderer" and "Playback Resolution" settings to match your system's capabilities and needs. 
  • Manual preview rendering: If you want to manually render specific sections of your timeline for smoother playback or to check the final quality of certain effects, you can use the "Render In to Out" option. Select the desired portion of your timeline, right-click, and choose "Render In to Out" from the context menu. Premiere Pro will render that section and replace it with the rendered preview files. 
  • Utilize render previews: Premiere Pro allows you to create render previews for specific sequences. To create render previews, select the sequence in the Project panel, go to Sequence > Render In to Out. This will render the entire sequence and generate preview files for smoother playback and editing. 
  • Monitor render progress: When rendering is in progress, you can monitor the progress in the "Progress" panel. To display the panel, go to Window > Progress. It provides information on the rendering status, estimated time remaining, and any errors or warnings. 
  • Optimize your system for rendering: Rendering can be resource-intensive, so optimizing your system can improve performance. Ensure you have enough free disk space for the Media Cache and scratch disks. Consider allocating more RAM to Premiere Pro in the Preferences > Memory settings. Also, closing unnecessary background applications can free up system resources. 
  • Pre-render effects: If you have complex effects applied to your clips or sequences, you can pre-render them to reduce the load on your system during editing. Right-click on the desired clip or sequence, and choose "Render and Replace." Premiere Pro will create a new clip with the effects rendered. 
  • Rendering for export: When you're ready to export your video, go to File > Export > Media. In the Export Settings window, select the desired format, resolution, and codec for your output. Premiere Pro will render the entire sequence based on your export settings and create the final output file. 

Color Grading

Color grading in Adobe Premiere Pro refers to the process of adjusting and enhancing the visual appearance of your video footage. It involves manipulating various aspects of color, tone, and contrast to create a specific mood or aesthetic, correct any imperfections, and achieve a consistent look throughout your project.

Understand the goal: Before you begin color grading, determine the desired look and feel you want to achieve. Consider the mood, atmosphere, and storytelling elements of your video. Whether you aim for a natural, cinematic, vintage, or stylized look, having a clear vision will guide your color grading decisions.

Utilize the Lumetri Color panel: Adobe Premiere Pro's Lumetri Color panel is a powerful tool for color grading. It provides a comprehensive set of controls to adjust color, exposure, contrast, and more. Access the Lumetri Color panel by selecting the clip or sequence and going to the Color workspace or clicking on the "Color" tab in the Essential Graphics panel.

Correct white balance: Start by correcting any color imbalances in your footage. Adjust the white balance to ensure accurate and neutral colors. Use the Temperature and Tint sliders in the Basic Correction section of the Lumetri Color panel to fine-tune the white balance.

Adjust exposure and contrast: Next, balance the exposure and contrast of your footage. Use the Exposure, Contrast, Highlights, Shadows, Whites, and Blacks sliders to achieve the desired overall brightness and contrast. Be careful not to overexpose or underexpose your footage, as it may result in loss of detail.

Use color wheels and curves: Premiere Pro provides color wheels and curves to target and adjust specific color ranges. The Color Wheels section in the Lumetri Color panel allows you to tweak the shadows, midtones, and highlights independently. The Curves section provides more precise control over individual color channels.

Create a consistent look: To ensure a cohesive visual style, apply your color grading adjustments consistently across all clips in a sequence or project. Use adjustment layers or create a color grading preset that you can apply to multiple clips.

Pay attention to skin tones: When grading footage with people, it's important to preserve natural-looking skin tones. Adjust the saturation, hue, and luminance of skin tones using the HSL Secondary section in the Lumetri Color panel or by using color masks and tracking.

Utilize secondary color correction: Premiere Pro allows you to perform secondary color correction to isolate specific colors or areas in your footage. Use color masks, tracking, and the Secondary section in the Lumetri Color panel to refine and enhance specific elements in your video.

Monitor your color grading: Ensure that your computer monitor or external display is calibrated for accurate color representation. Consider using a color calibration tool or professional-grade monitor to maintain consistency and accuracy in your color grading work.

Experiment and practice: Color grading is a creative process, so don't be afraid to experiment with different adjustments and techniques. Take the time to practice and develop your own style. Save and compare different versions of your color grading to see which one best fits your vision.

Resources that can help you learn Adobe Premiere: 

Adobe Premiere Pro Help Center: Adobe's official help center provides detailed documentation, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides for Premiere Pro. Visit their website here. 

Adobe Premiere Pro YouTube Channel: Adobe maintains an official YouTube channel dedicated to Premiere Pro. It features tutorials, tips, and tricks from experts. 

Online tutorials and courses: Many online platforms offer comprehensive tutorials and courses on Adobe Premiere. Websites like Lynda.com, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning have courses ranging from beginner to advanced levels.  

 

B-Roll Library

Download b-roll from ETSU's stock video library. New clips will be added regularly!